Abundance of fruit rewards your labours

Fruit trees have to be one of the most rewarding things in the garden '“ get it right and you can taste the difference.
HARVEST TIME: Fruit trees have to be one of the most rewarding things in the garden.HARVEST TIME: Fruit trees have to be one of the most rewarding things in the garden.
HARVEST TIME: Fruit trees have to be one of the most rewarding things in the garden.

Apples, pears, apricots and cherries to are just a few of the fantastic fruit-bearing trees for gardens big or small.

Fruit trees are beautiful when in blossom and bountiful when laden with fruit. They also provide food and shelter for wildlife. And if you don’t want to harvest them, just enjoy the flowers, the leaves and the colours.

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Fruit is often portrayed as a symbol of abundance and has been associated with goddesses of fruitfulness and plenty.

The choice of trees is staggering but most people settle for one or two varieties. And one of the most-often grown is Malus ‘John Downie’, whose lovely, single white flowers adorn the tree in May and are followed by an abundance of large crab apples. The fruit is considered to be great for jam and wine making.

Prunus ‘Sweetheart’ is probably more at home in a biggish container on a patio. What it lacks in stature it makes up for in output of delicious sweet cherries.

If you’re partial to a homemade tipple of damson gin or brandy, then Prunus ‘Merryweather’ is a good choice. The tree yields a good crop, best used in late September.